Extra Inning Contests Highlight Friday Baseball Action

Apr 21

HIGH POINT 8, COASTAL CAROLINA 5 (12) | BOX SCORECody Manzella's first collegiate hit drove in the game-winning run in the 12th inning to lift the High Point University baseball team to a 8-5 win over Coastal Carolina on Friday at Watson Stadium in Conway, S.C. The Panthers scored three runs in the 12th inning to pick up the Big South win.

Jaime Schultz got the win, throwing 4-2/3 innings of relief. He allowed one run on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts. He stands at 2-2 on the season.

In the 12th inning, Mike Miedzianowski stood at second base with two outs. Manzella sent his first collegiate hit in to centerfield to drive in Miedzianowski and put the Panthers ahead by a run. Sean Wilson followed with a single to score Manzella. Wilson came all the way around to score on the play thanks to a throwing error by Coastal Carolina.

With two outs in the ninth inning, Daniel Bowman sent a pitch from Schultz down the rightfield line for his third triple of the season. Rich Witten drove in the game-tying run with a bloop single to rightfield. Witten fought off the pitch from Schultz that was in on his hands and it dropped in front of the outfielders and tied the game 5-5.

HPU starter Ryan Retz went 5-1/3 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits. He had two walks and two strikeouts in the game. He was in line for his sixth straight win before Coastal tied the game in the ninth inning. Joe Goodman threw two scoreless innings of relief. He struck out two while giving up one hit.

Goodman gave up a one-out hit to Tucker Frawley in the eighth inning. The next batter, Ted Blackman, walked and HPU brought Schultz out of the bullpen. Schultz walked Justin Creel to load the bases but kept Coastal from scoring a run. Keith Picconi failed to get the squeeze bunt past Schultz and the pitched tossed the ball home for a force out. Schultz got a pop up to end the eighth and keep HPU ahead 5-4.

High Point broke a 4-4 tied with an unearned run in the sixth inning off CCU reliever Aaron Burke. Wilson reached on a throwing error by Burke to lead off the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Ryne Rush grounded to short and Coastal Carolina shortstop Brian Pruett threw the ball away allowing Wilson to score. It was the second error of the game for Pruett.

Coastal tied the game 4-4 in the fifth inning. Justin Creel was hit by a pitch to start the inning and snap a streak of 11 in a row retired by Retz. Keith Picconi hit a two-run homer to right field to cut HPU's lead to 4-3. The Chanticleers tied the game on a throwing error by Willie Medina that allowed Alex Buccilli to score.

Devin Bujnovsky hit a ball deep in the hole at shortstop for a bases-loaded single to drive in the second run of the game for HPU. Josh Spano reached on an error by Pruett and the Panthers added another run to take a 3-1 lead.

The Panthers added a fourth run in the fourth inning, ending Josh Conway's day early. Medina laced a two-out double to leftfield. Rush followed it with a single to third but CCU third baseman Picconi threw the ball away which allowed Medina to score.

Conway left the game after the error, lasting just 3-2/3 innings. He allowed four runs, two earned, on eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts on 90 pitches. Burke entered the game for CCU and got Retz to ground out to end the fourth inning.

Rush reached base in his first five plate appearances. He went 3-5, reached on an error and on a walk. Medina went 2-5 with two runs scored and his 13th sacrifice bunt of the season.

High Point goes to 23-18 and 8-5 in the Big South while Coastal falls to 24-13 with a 7-3 mark in the Big South.

High Point and Coastal Carolina will play a doubleheader on Saturday to avoid the rain that is in the forecast for Sunday. The first game of the twinbill will get underway at 2 p.m. with the series finale to start at 6 p.m.

The Bulldogs (18-21, 7-9 Big South) blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning as the Flames (31-11, 9-4) rallied for three runs to take the lead at 6-5. Asheville knotted the game in bottom of the frame with a run-scoring pinch-hit single from Aaron Wright to tie the game at 6-6.

The win went to reliever Elliott Criss (2-2) who shut down the potent Liberty offense. He pitched four scoreless innings and allowed just one hit with four strikeouts.

In the bottom of the 13th, Jordan Lurie singled with one out. Bess hit a grounder to second that forced Lurie out at second but the throw from shortstop Zack Haley sailed into the Asheville dugout, allowing Bess to go to second on the error.

With two outs, Liberty reliever Jacob Kemmerer threw a ball in the dirt to Bulldog hitter Cody Adkins that Bess quickly went to third on the wild pitch.

With Kemmerer (3-3) ahead 0-2 at Adkins, he threw a pitch that bounced away from catcher Danny Grauer. As soon as the ball squirted away from Grauer, Bess raced for home and scored to give Asheville the dramatic victory.

The freshman center-fielder had a great day at the plate as he went 4-for-5 with a two-run triple. He stole his seventh base and advanced on four wild pitches by Flames pitching.

Liberty was led at the plate by Tyler Cox with three hits and two doubles. Bryan Aanderud and Haley added two hits each for the Flames.

The Bulldogs led 5-3 entering the top of the ninth inning but Liberty rallied. A run-scoring single from Alex Close cut the lead to 5-4. With two outs and two strikes on Dalton Sype, the third-baseman singled to right-field to score Aanderdud with the tying run at 5-5. Haley followed with a run-scoring single to put the Flames in front, 6-5.

But Asheville countered. Lurie walked and went to second on a sacrifice bunt from Bess. Wright then singled to right, scoring Lurie to tie the game at 6-6.

Liberty opened the scoring in the first inning on a run-scoring double from Cox. The Bulldogs struck for four runs in the third to grab a 4-1 lead. Bess's two-run triple highlighted the innings.

The teams will play the second game of their three-game series Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.

PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE 2, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 1 | BOX SCOREA solo home run by Kenny Bryant in the second inning proved to be the difference as Presbyterian College earned the 2-1 win over Charleston Southern in Big South baseball action this afternoon at the PC Baseball Complex in Clinton, S.C.

PC improved to 17-21 overall and 5-8 in the Big South with the win, while the Bucs dropped to 15-26, 6-7.

Bud Jeter pitched seven strong innings for the Blue Hose, scattering four hits and one run with three strikeouts to move to 3-6 on the year. Gabe Grammer earned his seventh save of the year after coming in to start the ninth inning. He struck out one while surrendering the side.

Ryan Gunther picked up the loss (0-7), throwing 7.0 innings and giving up two earned runs. He struck out two and gave up seven hits.

Bryant opened the bottom of the second with his seventh home run of the season, a shot that sailed over the right field fence to give the Blue Hose the 1-0 lead.

Gunther retired the next 12 of 15 batters before Billy Motroni singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning. A base hit by Brad Zebedis advanced him to third, and he scored after Bryant grounded into a double play the next at-bat to make it 2-1, Blue Hose.

Charleston Southern scored in the top of the fifth inning after Chase Shelton led off with a single to right and scored the next at-bat after Walt Quattlebaum laced a RBI double down the left field line.

Only three CSU batters reached base the remainder of the game as PC took the eventual 2-1 win.

PC recorded seven hits, six of them coming from six different batters, Motroni the lone player with a team-leading two hits. Charleston Southern posted four hits, with Robbie Streett leading the team with two.

First-pitch of the second game of the series is Saturday at 2 p.m.

CAMPBELL 6-2, VMI 4-3 | GAME 1 BOX SCORE | GAME 2 BOX SCORECampbell rallied for a 6-4 victory in the first game of Friday's doubleheader against VMI before falling late 3-2 in the nightcap to take a split against the Keydets. The teams will play the rubber game of the series on Saturday, with first pitch currently scheduled for 1 p.m.

All seven VMI runs on the day came via the home run ball. The Fighting Camels move to 32-9 overall, 9-5 in the Big South, while the Keydets are 12-26 overall, 5-12 in league play.

Game 1: Campbell 6, VMI 4

Campbell rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the afternoon game, using a three-run sixth inning to take the team's first lead of the game. Ben McQuown's RBI single with the bases loaded brought the tying run home and two more runs scored when the ball got underneath the leftfielder's glove and rolled to the wall. The two unearned runs ended up being the decisive score in the 6-4 victory.

VMI took an early advantage on a two-run homer in the first inning off the bat of Jacob Morley to give the Keydets a 2-0 lead. It was just the third home run CU starter Matt Sergey had allowed on the season.

The Fighting Camels scratched one run back in the third inning when McQuown singled, stole second and came around to score on Jake Kirkland's RBI double. VMI immediately answered in their half of the inning, using a second two-run homer, this one from Rob Dickinson, to increase the Keydet lead to 4-1.

CU got two runs back in the fifth inning. Jimmy Brenneman reached on a hit by pitch and McQuown followed with a single, his third base hit in a 5-for-5 game for the junior. They both moved up on a balk before Brenneman scored off a wild pitch. McQuown then scored his second run of the day on an RBI ground from Michael Felton to draw the Camels within a run at 4-3.

The three-run sixth inning evolved with just two Camel hits, as Cam'Ron Summers and Brenneman reach base courtesy of a HBP and walk, respectively, before scoring the decisive runs during McQuown's at-bat.

Sergey (5-0) earned the win for Campbell, tossing seven innings while scattering eight hits and four runs. He struck out six VMI batters while walking only one. Ryan Mattes entered in the eighth inning and retired all six batters he faced to pick up his fourth save of the season.

Game 2: VMI 3, Campbell 2

VMI again got on the board early with use of the long ball when Dickinson led off the bottom of the first with a home run to center field of Camel starter Frank Zier. Zier allowed just four hits and that lone run over six innings of working, finishing with three strikeouts and two walks in a no decision.

The 1-0 score held up until the fifth inning, when Bryce Grady led off the frame with a single, advanced to second on a sac bunt and later scored on an RBI single from Brenneman.

Campbell took its first lead of the nightcap on a solo home run from David Olson during the top of the eighth. The Keydets responded in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff single from George Piccirilli, as VMI put six of the eight leadoff men reached base during the second game of the doubleheader. Morley followed with his second home run of the day, this one a game-deciding shot to center field off CU reliever Matt Marksberry.

John Garrett (1-2) worked a perfect ninth to complete his second inning of work in taking the win. Marksberry took the loss to drop to 4-2 on the season. Olson, Nick Ray and Blake Boyce each had two hits to lead the Camel offense during the nightcap.

RADFORD 7-8, WINTHROP 1-9 | GAME 1 BOX SCORE | GAME 2 BOX SCOREMatt Hillsinger had seven hits in nine trips the plate, Jeff Kemp went 6-for-11 with three RBIs, and Radford earned a doubleheader split with Winthrop, winning the first game 7-1 before dropping the second in 10 innings 9-8.

Hillsinger and Kemp both homered in the second game for Radford - Hillsinger hit his eighth, while Kemp blasted his fourth.

Radford is 22-16 (7-4, Big South) after the split, while Winthrop is 13-27 (6-8).

GAME 1: RADFORD 7, WINTHROP 1

Eddie Butler went eight innings for the fourth consecutive start, Kemp went 4-for-5, scored three times and stole two bases, and Radford controlled the game from start to finish in a game one victory.

Cory Turner had three RBIs for the Highlanders - Turner singled home a run with two outs in the first inning, and added sacrifice flys in the third and seventh innings. Hillsinger knocked in a pair of runs on doubles in the third and seventh innings.

Butler earned his second straight win (4-3) and limited the Eagles to five hits, struck out four and didn't walk a batter.

For Winthrop, Max Vogel was 2-for-4 and Chas Crane knocked in the only run for the Eagles on a two-out single in the fourth.

Radford scored three runs in the top of the first to take the lead immediately. Zach Costello singled and Mollenhauer walked before Kemp's RBI double put the Highlanders on the board. Matt Mack's groundout to the right side scored Mollenhauer before Turner's single to right scored Kemp.

After Kemp hit a two-run homer in the top of the 10th, Winthrop got three runs in the bottom half, including a walk-off RBI by Tyler Donovan to beat Radford in the second game.

With the game tied at 6-6 in the 10th, Mollenhauer walked before Kemp drove a fly ball over the wall in right center, lifting the Highlanders to an 8-6 lead.

But Winthrop loaded the bases in the home half, setting up the winning run. A wild pitch scored T.J. Olesczuk from third, after he singled to lead off the inning. Patrick McClendon's hit to left scored Matt Lobacz to tie the game at 8-8, and then a ground ball to the left side off the bat of Donovan brought Patrick Gamblin home and gave Winthrop the winning run.

In the sixth inning, Gamblin hit a three-run homer, his fifth, to tie the game at 4-4, after Radford scored the first four runs of the game.

Following the Gamblin homer, Hillsinger hit a solo blast to start the seventh, and Turner knocked in a run to make it a 6-4 Radford lead. But the Eagles came back with two more in the bottom half to tie the game again.

Hillsinger went 5-for-6 in the game, and Kemp and Turner added three hits each for the Highlanders, who had 16 hits.

Olesczuk went 4-for-5 to lead Winthrop, and Donovan was 3-for-5 with two RBIs.

Austin Stuart got the win (3-1) - he pitched four relief innings with four strikeouts.

Abram Williams took the loss (1-2), allowing three runs in an inning and a third.

UAB 10, GARDNER-WEBB 5 | BOX SCOREUAB used a pair of early two-run home runs and posted multiple runs in four different innings to top Gardner-Webb, 10-5, Friday night in the first of a three-game series.

After a two-run shot from UAB first baseman Michael Busby in the second inning put the Blazers (22-17) on top early, but Dusty Quattlebaum answered with a two-run double in the top of the third to tie the score for Gardner-Webb (20-19).

The Blazers went in front for good in the bottom of the third, taking advantage of an error to plate four runs and take control of the game, 6-2. Ryan Ussery had a two-run home run in that frame to spark the surge.

Gardner-Webb cut the lead to 6-3 in the fifth, but UAB responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth to get into double figures. Scott Coleman had the RBI knock in the fifth for the Runnin' Bulldogs, following Ryan Hodge's double.

The Runnin' Bulldogs loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, and got an RBI single from Zeke Blanton to trim the lead to 10-4. Quattlebaum drew an RBI walk with two outs to cut the lead to 10-5. UAB got a fielder's choice from there to end the game.

Matt Fraudin (1-4) took the loss for Gardner-Webb, allowing six earned runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings of work. Matt Liedberg, Brandon Boling and Jimmy Moore closed out the game for GWU, with Boling and Moore hurling scoreless innings.

The 'Dogs managed 11 hits, with Quattlebaum (2-for-3, 2B, 3 RBI) and Brad Collins (2-for-3) leading the way. Seven different players collected hits and the 'Dogs rapped out four doubles in the game.

Chase Mallard came in to hurl 6.1 innings of relief to close out the game, picking up the win after allowing just two earned runs on six hits. Starter Dillon Napoleon allowed two runs on five hits in just 2.2 innings of work.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday, with first pitch set for 3:00 pm ET.